To be so in control of a pets birth. i was watching Thats My Baby on Animal Planet. I really don't like the show i was just flipping and saw a beautiful dog and stopped. The Mum was Pyrenean Mastiff and when she gave birth the women would bairly let the dog touch the pups she even pulled them out!!! Im a avid beleiver that a ***** should deliver her own pups. I let them deliver and clean their own pups and then i take a look but i beleive it is the mums right to take care of her pups. the dog was leaping up trying to get to her pups which were fine and the women was acting like she could'nt understand why he dog was so upset . Just gets on my nerves.

That is annoying. I totally get what you are saying. That's an important bonding time for them. Seems to me that would only encourage the babies getting rejected should the mother be the rejecting type. I think they should be bonded to their mom more than the adult. She's the one who will be teaching them how to be a dog!

I agree to a point.....when I helped in whelping I let the Mom do as much as she could. One litter came so quickly that the Mom was cleaning one and another would be coming....at this point I would put all pups aside and let her birth ....otherwise there would be too many pups to step on as she would change postions to whelp and the get the after birth and try to clean new pup. She knew her pups were safe, I was helping with towel drying and stimulating and when she was resting in between I'd put all pups up to her. This one litter she had 13 and we were both worn out !!! Ah , how I miss those times.

Well my experience is only with horses and I only intervene when they are in trouble. Thankfully I've never had to do that by myself.

I can't imagine dealing with 13 pups though! I never plan on breeding dogs or cats so I guess I won't have to. I'll just deal with my one foal every so many years. lol

Foals do get 'imprinted' where they are handled everyday. Fingers in the nose, ears... because they grow up to be so big! But I don't do that during or immediately after a birth. I've had to deal with orphaned foals and that's extremely though and heart-breaking.

Renee....I would almost kill to be there with you !!! When are you going to whelp ??? I'd be glad to help in anyway.....I do have an old tape (if I can find it ) of one of my litters. It think it was Eli's whelping. Would you like to see it ? Also, get "How to raise etc " or I'll send you the one I jusy got. PM me.

We won't be breeding Shiva until she's well over two years old, and the same goes for Kharma. I'm just dreading it in advance. I've been warned that sometimes the mastiff's get lazy about pushing during labor, but as active as these two are and as well toned and muscular I don't really see that as a problem. I just worry . . . my big over grown ShivaSweetie-puppy and my IttyBittyPrittyBaby Kharma being mamas someday . . . they're my BABIES!

Okay, you can stop laughing at me now.

__________________In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves. ~Buddha

Stupid is the most notoriously incurable and contagious disease known to mankind. If you find yourself in close proximity to someone infected with stupid, walk away as soon as said infection is noted.

There are few things more nauseating than pure obedience. ~ Kvothe

***8206;"silence is the language of god, all else is poor translation."
— Rumi
Be a god. Know when to shut up.

Oh, Charley's already announced that we'll probably be keeping the pups, except for one to my parents and maybe one or two others to people we trust who will raise them inside and treat them like one of their children. You should see him explaining this to people: "These dogs are like children. They need to be with you. They need your attention. They want to be with you all the time . . . If you're not going to be able to spend lots of time with a dog you don't need a Fila."

__________________In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves. ~Buddha

Stupid is the most notoriously incurable and contagious disease known to mankind. If you find yourself in close proximity to someone infected with stupid, walk away as soon as said infection is noted.

There are few things more nauseating than pure obedience. ~ Kvothe

***8206;"silence is the language of god, all else is poor translation."
— Rumi
Be a god. Know when to shut up.